//------------------------------// // Arc 4 Chapter 2.5: Party and Preparation // Story: Ring eyed Shinobi // by Seeker Of Knowledge //------------------------------// (Sugarcube Corner) (Later that day) “Not that big of a surprise if I know about it Pinkie.” Zeko was at the door of Sugarcube Corner and opened it revealing a dark room which quickly changed when the lights went on and what he thought was the entire town sprang out and yelled “SURPRISE!” There were streamers flying and confetti raining down. Zeko looked and saw a banner that read; Happy Late Welcome to Ponyville Party! And he was immediately given a cupcake by Pinkie Pie herself “I hope you like it! The party didn’t take so long to prepare so I had time to invite most of Ponyville!” She bounced off once she finished her sentence leaving Zeko blank faced. “I’m just gonna stand in a corner and wait to leave.” He walked over to a slightly more secluded space and scraped the frosting off his treat before indulging, noting that it was almost perfect “She does know how to bake doesn’t she?” Zeko turned and saw Spike with a cup of punch in his hand. “Me and Twilight’s party was just like this, by the way I saw you and your friend with Rarity earlier and I just gotta say.” Spike grabbed Zeko by the shirt and nearly growled to him; “Back off...” Zeko wasn’t intimidated by the drake but he wanted to clear up the issue “You can have Rarity Spike, you just have to be assertive. Also don’t wear shirts with her in a heart.” Spike looked and saw he’d somehow put on a shirt with his crush in the center in a love heart and he ran to take it off in private. “At least his feelings are genuine.” “Excuse me, Mr.Zeko?” Zeko turned and was greeted by three fillies including Applebloom but the Pegasus is the one who called him. “Do you have a cutie mark?” Zeko decided to draw some inspiration from his cousin and respond in a way that he would. “The hell’s a cutie mark? Sounds kinda weird.” The trio gasped and many others nearby looked confused. “Is something on my face again?” The shinobi ran his hands along his face to see but found nothing “Do you humans not have cutie marks?” Twilight asked and got a head shake from Zeko. “I knew you were different but you don’t have a specific talent?” “Specific... talent? These marks, do they have to do with talents?” “Exactly! Your cutie mark is what defines who you are and what your place can be.” Rainbow Dash added “Well we humans are multitalented and we aren’t bound by one specific thing. I have a bunch of different things that I know that aren’t all similar but that’s the Rinnegan to thank.” “Rinnegan? What’s that?” The unicorn filly questioned allowing Zeko to smile to himself “I keep forgetting that I shift to normal when I sleep but I might as well...” He looked at the child and changed his eye to its ringed form earning three excited gasps. “This eye is the Rinnegan and there’s a story behind it but most of the crowd left already so they wouldn’t know much themselves.” “WAIT!” Applebloom yelled making her friends and those who were present cover their ears. “Can we bring you ta show and tell next month when school starts back up?” “Applebloom! What’d I tell ya about asking anypony for something that’d be embarrassin?” The elder Apple sister started scolding Applebloom for her rudeness “Sure why not?” Applejack stopped when Zeko said this. “I just need to make sure my schedule isn’t full that day. But you all just enjoy the rest of the party.” “You’re leaving?” Pinkie Pie asked with wide almost teary eyes “I’ve been procrastinating with going back to the Golden Dagger and I should just go now.” Zeko walked to the door and heard the Mane six saying their goodbyes but realized something. “Hey, I never got your names.” He looked to the three fillies who brightened “I’m Applebloom, Applejack’s sister.” The earth pony held a hand over her chest with “I’m Sweetie Belle, Rarity’s sister.” The unicorn gave a slight bow instead “And I’m Scootaloo!” The Pegasus reminded Zeko of Rainbow Dash since her voice dripped with pride “And we’re, THE CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS!” No one was prepared for that outburst but Zeko managed to nod before leaving almost immediately groans of pain from outside were heard by the remaining partygoers prompting the CMC to snicker “I’d do that too but moving my ears would hurt them more.” Rainbow Dash said before downing her punch as quickly as she could “Seriously why do they want me to go deaf?” Zeko said as he floated to the base ============================== (Golden Blade Base) (6 minutes later) Hunter was going over some letters that managed to make it to the base regarding, the “Hairless Monkey” they recruited who could fight off a Manticore and force it to leave when Zeko conveniently walked in. “You got fans kid, the ponies from Appleloosa really felt grateful to you.” “Eh, I got the Manticore out of there, it was just work.” Zeko admitted to caring more about the job in this instance making Hunter roll his eyes “It’s not a small deal to fight a Manticore but if you think it was just work then fine. And my sister wants to see you, her name’s Llona so just ask around.” “Ok.” Zeko left and asked some of the other guild members and found out that Llona spends her time in the training area outside, so Zeko went out there and saw multiple target practice boards some training dummies and a shield rack “Hey new guy!” Zeko looked over and saw a Pegasus mare with silver fur and a blue mane, he also noted she was quite muscular for a female. “I’m Llona and I wanted to see that weapon of yours and before you say no, I’ve been the blacksmith’s assistant for years so I know a good weapon when I see it and that’s something I don’t think I’ll ever see again.” “I can show you but you can’t physically touch it since it drains energy.” Llona almost started drooling when he said this but he unwrapped the tip of his weapon and showed the mare who pulled out a notepad and greatly reminded Zeko of a certain bookworm “How did you get a sword like this?! It looks like it’s alive!” “Well it is alive and I to make a long story short; I beat the previous owner. I’ll tell the whole story some other time.” Llona finished taking her notes and put the pad away “Fortis wanted me to congratulate you for completing a beast related mission in so little time. To explain: Hunter handles animal missions, I handle bandit groups and things like that, Aeris is a unicorn and she handles wanted ponies, Fortis and the other leaders give the highest assignments.” “Ok that makes sense, distribution sounds fair. But why couldn’t he congratulate me?” “That’s the thing, he wanted me to start showing you the basics of combat but I think you got that so how about we just soar every now and again?” Before Zeko could answer Llona flew into the air with a fearful shriek. “BIG SPIDER!” She yelled down to the teenager who saw that a spider was there with paper in its fangs “Oh he sent one of you.” Zeko took the paper from one of Kotetsu’s spiders and saw what it said They bought it “What does it say?” Llona asked while still in the sky “Nothing important, just my reason to stay.” He answered with a smile and twirl of his weapon =======